Government to Tesla: We Never Said the Model 3 Was the “Safest Car Ever”

Participation Trophy

In a blog post published last week, Tesla claimed that its Model 3 was the safest car ever tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA.)

Seemingly in response, the NHTSA just released a very, oh, let’s call it a measured statement. The statement, which doesn’t mention Tesla by name, clarifies that there are no bonus points above a five-star rating. If you reach the top bracket, you’re good.

The statement reads:

Results from these three crash tests and the rollover resistance assessments are weighted and combined into an overall safety rating. A 5-star rating is the highest safety rating a vehicle can achieve. NHTSA does not distinguish safety performance beyond that rating, thus there is no ‘safest’ vehicle among those vehicles achieving 5-star ratings.

Bragging Rights

That seems to contradict Tesla’s post, which used NHTSA testing data to claim that the Model 3 showed a lower probability of accident-related injuries than any other car model out there. The government apparently felt the need to step in and shoot down the hype.

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